Stuck on You
by Jami-bunny
Summary: "What better way to teach the Autobots about Earth culture than to introduce them to April Fools' Day?"


**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own _Transformers: Prime_ or any of the characters and locations associated with the franchise. But I own the story "Stuck on You" and all references to dialogue not originating from Hasbro.

**_Author's Notes:_** This is my first story on this website. I have to admit that I had a lot of fun writing this. Enjoy!

**Timeline:** Set after _Transformers: Prime_ episode "Deus ex Machina." March began on a Sunday in a calendar seen during "Deus ex Machina," so April 1 would be on a Wednesday.

* * *

><p>The First of April. The one day of the year dedicated to jokes and hoaxes.<p>

Needless to say, it was also one of Miko's favorite holidays. She and her unwilling accomplices had spent the entire weekend preparing for this day, acquiring the needed materials for what, she hoped, would be the "Prank of the Century."

This year's targets: The Autobots.

What better way to teach the sentient alien robots about Earth culture than to introduce them to this internationally-recognized holiday?

* * *

><p>For the resident Autobot medic, Wednesday morning began just like any other day. He awoke from recharge, consumed his daily Energon, and then began checking the schematics on the GroundBridge. It was not until he saw Optimus staring at him with an unreadable expression that he had the sense that something was amiss.<p>

"Good morning, Optimus," he said, inclining his head in greeting. "Do you need something?"

Ratchet did not miss the slight twitch of his leader's lip plates, as if he were trying to suppress a smile. While the medic thought that the Prime needed to smile more, something about the situation was…_wrong,_ somehow.

"No, thank you," Optimus answered, shaking his head. Before he crossed into the GroundBridge gate to go on patrol, he added, "It looks like the children have managed to leave quite an impression on you."

And with that, the leader of the Autobots stepped through the portal and disappeared.

The medic could only guess at the Prime's cryptic sentence, until he finally looked down at himself and saw something on his leg. On what would have been his bumper when he transformed into his ambulance vehicle mode was a small rectangular sticker.

"Those blasted kids…"

* * *

><p>When Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee arrived back at the base with their Human friends, they stumbled upon the scene of the medic surrounded by what looked like buckets of solvent, trying to scrub something off of his left leg. Upon closer inspection, they could see what appeared to be a sticker firmly attached to him.<p>

Ratchet immediately raised his head to address the curious onlookers. "Whose idea was this?" he growled, motioning towards his undesired decoration, which showed _"Mad scientist on board"_ in large green letters.

Everyone's heads turned towards Miko. "Guilty as charged," she said sheepishly from behind Bulkhead's foot.

"I don't think you're the only one," the medic replied as he continued to glare at her. "You may have managed to stick it on me sometime yesterday—though how you did it escapes me—but you would have needed help since I can see these 'decorations' on the rest of us."

The remaining Autobots took that statement as a cue to examine themselves and each other, only to find bumper stickers attached to them, too. Arcee's said, _"Rebel girl… My way or my way!"_ Bulkhead's new addition proclaimed, _"BOOM! BOOM! POW!"_ in some sort of comic book font. Bumblebee looked down at his _"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee"_ with an appreciative expression.

"Don't give me that innocent look, Bumblebee," Ratchet accused. "You're one of the well-known pranksters amongst us Cybertronians." He switched his glare to the two Human boys. "And don't tell me you two weren't involved at all."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

"Bumblebee helped me with the mixture for the nearly-permanent glue," Raf finally admitted. "And Jack bought the actual stickers on the Internet."

Jack slid a hand over his face in exasperation. "I _knew_ this was a bad idea."

* * *

><p>It was about thirty minutes later when Optimus passed through the GroundBridge to return to the outpost, and came upon the unexpected, yet no less amusing, sight of the Human children and Bumblebee scrubbing off the stickers from the other Autobots, who turned to look at him.<p>

"You have something on your leg, Optimus," Bulkhead said after a short silence. "Looks like you didn't survive the prank unscathed, either." The Autobot leader shifted his right leg and saw _"This is how I roll,"_ along with the picture of a truck, on the adornment stuck to his limb. He raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps the children have managed to leave an impression on all of us, after all."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ending Notes:<strong>_ Yes, those are real-life bumper stickers. It took me forever to find which ones matched with each Autobot.


End file.
